There is an increasing use of control systems to automate industrial processes or machinery, as automation may provide greater efficiency and safety. As the complexity of the processes or machinery increases, the more complex the automation system becomes. This is particularly so where autonomous operations are involved.
One example of a complex application where autonomous operations may be used is in mining. Conventional open pit mining, for example of metal-bearing mineral or rock, normally involves the progressive accessing of an ore body followed by drilling, blasting, loading and haulage of the released material. In the case of iron ore it is mined in large blocks from a series of benches and the various mining activities (other than blasting) are performed concurrently, resulting in diverse equipment, and often personnel, being present simultaneously in the mine site. A bench of ore typically 40 m long×20 m deep×10 m high and containing in the order of 8 kilotonnes of ore is first drilled to form a pattern of blast holes and the drilling residue is analysed, as one step in a more extensive analysis, to determine whether the material to be blasted comprises, on average, high grade ore, low grade ore or waste material. The blasted material is collected by shovels, excavators and/or front end haul loaders, loaded into haul trucks and transported from the mine pit. The material is then processed outside of the mine pit, depending upon grade determination; waste material typically being used as mine fill, low grade ore being stockpiled or blended with high grade ore, and high grade ore being processed further as required to form a marketable product.
Autonomous operations have to date been adopted to a very limited extent on mine sites. Examples include the operation of automated haulage vehicles under remote control from centralised control systems.